We took the train from Milan to Varenna, which is one of the smaller and quieter towns on the lake, on the eastern shore. The journey is about an hour. You board a rather ordinary regional train and then, at some point along the way, the landscape becomes extraordinary and everyone on the train gets quiet in the same moment.
Varenna Over Bellagio
Bellagio is the famous one. The postcard one. The one that gets attached to every article about Lake Como. We did cross to Bellagio on the ferry, and it is beautiful, genuinely beautiful, but it is also overrun and overpriced and primarily organized around the experience of people who have read about Bellagio.
Varenna is different. The streets are narrow enough that two people can barely pass. There are cats sleeping on steps. Laundry hangs between windows at angles that would make a fire marshal nervous. We found a restaurant with four outdoor tables and a view of the water and ate lunch for two hours without anyone hurrying us. That was the Como I had wanted.
The Gondola Moment
Not a gondola ride. A gondola moment. We were crossing from Varenna to Bellagio on the car ferry, the kind that also carries foot passengers, and I was standing at the railing watching the water and thinking about nothing in particular, which is a state I almost never achieve at home, when I felt completely, fully present in a way I rarely do. No to-do list. No next thing. Just the lake, the mountains, the sound of the ferry engine and the water.
I mentioned this to Jen later. She said she had felt the same thing, standing at a different railing. The kids had been below deck competing at something on their phones. That is fine. They will be back someday, probably with their own families, and they will have their own versions of that moment. Travel plants things that take years to grow.
What Works With Kids at Lake Como
Be honest with yourself about attention spans and pace. The lake is beautiful but not particularly action-oriented. For younger kids, the ferry rides are inherently fun. For older kids, frame it around exploration: narrow streets, unexpected stairs, the satisfaction of finding a viewpoint that is not in any guidebook.
- Take the ferry, not a taxi. The views from the water are the experience. The routes and stops are all worth it.
- Stay at least one night. Day trips miss the early morning quiet and the evening light completely.
- Eat at places without English menus. The food is better and the experience is more real.
- Varenna over Bellagio if you have to choose one and want atmosphere over crowds.
- Walk the Greenway del Lago. The path along the western shore is one of the most scenic walks in Italy and easy enough for all ages.
Some places look exactly like their photographs and still manage to exceed them. Lake Como is one of those places.
We had two nights at the lake, and both were quiet and unhurried and everything I had hoped for. On the third morning we pointed the car north and started climbing. The Alps were waiting.
Where We Went
Planning an Italian Lakes Trip?
We can build you an itinerary that covers the right towns at the right pace, with the kind of local detail that makes the difference between a good trip and a great one.
